Israeli airstrikes targeted a host of Houthi infrastructure near the airports of Hodeidah and the Yemeni capital of Sana’a, sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
The strikes targeted Sana’a International Airport’s main runway, control tower, and aircraft, some of which subsequently caught fire.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said he was at the airport during the strikes. He was in Yemen to negotiate the release of UN staff who had been detained there.
Our mission to negotiate the release of @UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in #Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees’ immediate release.As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport… pic.twitter.com/riZayWHkvf
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 26, 2024
Three people were killed and 16 injured at the airport in Sana’a following the Israeli attack, according to Houthi-owned TV channel Al-Masirah.
The IDF confirmed that they had targeted Houthi military infrastructure, the Sana’a International Airport, the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations, and Al-Hudaydah, Salif, and Ras Kanatib ports on the western coast.
The targets were used to smuggle weapons from the Iranian regime into Yemen.
Seven strikes were reported in Sana’a and three in Hodeidah, and dozens of aircraft were spotted in the air.
The strikes were carried out as Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi was delivering a ‘victory’ speech nearby, local sources said.
Al-Houthi was railing against the “failure” of Tel Aviv to challenge Yemen and said Israel had failed to obtain intelligence in the country right before the strikes hit.
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdel Salam called the attack a “crime against the Yemeni people.”
Ramping up the attack
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to keep attacking the “terror arm” of Iran until “we complete the job.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “We will hunt down all the Houthi leaders – no one will be able to evade Israel’s long arm.”
“The Houthi terrorist regime is a central part of the Iranian axis of terror, and their attacks on international shipping vessels and routes continue to destabilize the region and the wider world. The Houthi terrorist regime operates as an autonomous terrorist group while relying on Iranian cooperation and funding to carry out its attacks,” the IDF said following the strikes.
“The IDF will not hesitate to operate at any distance against any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.”
These strikes come after persistent missile attacks on Tel Aviv, during which one missile impacted, causing damage and injuries to over 30 people.
Both the United States and Israel vowed to ramp up attacks on the Houthis, who began launching raids on trade flowing through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in “solidarity” with Hamas.
Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi has ordered the Air Force to begin upgrading its early detection and warning systems to prepare for possible attacks, such as those from ballistic missiles or drones.
“The attacks against the Houthis will continue as long as necessary, and each time, they will pay a heavier price,” an official added. “This is much more significant than the previous strikes.”
According to the IDF, the Houthis have fired over 200 ballistic missiles and over 170 drones at Israel, with most being shot down by the US or Israel but 22 having penetrated Israel.
This is a developing story.
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